Free The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems by John Milton, Burton Raffel Page B

those
53
      
Contrive who need, or when they need; not now
54
      
For while they sit contriving, shall the rest
55
      
Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait
56
      
The signal to ascend—sit ling’ring here
57
      
Heav’n’s fugitives? and for their dwelling-place
58
      
Accept this dark opprobrious 1937 den of shame
59
      
The prison of His tyranny who reigns
60
      
By our delay? No! Let us rather choose
61
      
Armed with Hell-flames and fury, all at once
62
      
O’er Heav’n’s high tow’rs to force resistless way
63
      
Turning our tortures into horrid arms
64
      
Against the Torturer! When to meet the noise
65
      
Of His almighty engine, 1938 He shall hear
66
      
Infernal thunder and, for lightning, see
67
      
Black fire and horror shot with equal rage
68
      
Among His Angels, and His throne itself
69
      
Mixed with Tartarean 1939 sulphur and strange 1940 fire
70
      
His own invented torments. But perhaps
71
      
The way seems difficult, and steep to scale
72
      
With upright wing against a higher foe
73
      
Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench 1941
74
      
Of that forgetful 1942 lake benumb not still
75
      
That in our proper 1943 motion we ascend
76
      
Up to our native seat; descent and fall
77
      
To us is adverse. 1944 Who but felt of late
78
      
When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear 1945
79
      
Insulting, 1946 and pursued us through the deep
80
      
With what compulsion and laborious flight
81
      
We sunk thus low? Th’ ascent is easy, then
82
      
Th’ event 1947 is feared! Should we again provoke
83
      
Our stronger, some worse way His wrath may find
84
      
To our destruction, if there be in Hell
85
      
Fear to be worse destroyed! What can be worse
86
      
Than to dwell here, driv’n out from bliss condemned
87
      
In this abhorrèd 1948 deep to utter 1949 woe
88
      
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
89
      
Must exercise 1950 us without hope of end
90
      
The vassals 1951 of His anger, when the scourge
91
      
Inexorably, and the torturing hour
92
      
Calls us to penance? More destroyed than thus
93
      
We should be quite abolished, and expire
94
      
What fear we then? What doubt we to incense 1952
95
      
His utmost ire? which, to the height enraged
96
      
Will either quite consume us, and reduce
97
      
To nothing this essential 1953 —happier far
98
      
Than miserable to have eternal being
99
      
Or if our substance be indeed divine
100
      
And cannot cease to be, we are at worst
101
      
On this side nothing. And by proof we feel
102
      
Our power sufficient to disturb His Heav’n,
103
      
And with perpetual inroads to alarm
104
      
Though inaccessible, His fatal throne
105
      
Which if not victory, is yet revenge
106
      
    He ended frowning, and his look denounced 1954
107
      
Desperate revenge, and battle dangerous
108
      
To less than gods. On th’ other side up rose
109
      
Belial, in act more graceful and humane
110
      
A fairer person lost not Heav’n. He seemed
111
      
For dignity composed, and high exploit
112
      
But all was false and hollow, though his tongue
113
      
Dropped manna 1955 and could make the worse appear
114
      
The better reason, to perplex 1956 and dash 1957
115
      
Maturest counsels, for his thoughts were low
116
      
To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
117
      
Timorous and slothful. Yet he pleased the ear
118
      
And with persuasive accent thus